Sunday, 18 June 2017

Smartphones — and the apps, photos, and texts that come with them — are hard to resist. Their popularity is not surprising! Smartphones are incredible little devices – they allow us to stay connected, organized and entertained. They can track what we eat, our exercise goals and our sleep patterns. They log our shopping lists, our travel details, and our spending habits.These mini computers have eliminated our need for alarm clocks, address books, notepads, and cameras.But do their perks come with a downside?1. Disrupted SleepIt is common to see people using a smartphone or tablet when they are in bed. The worrying fact is that the exposure to bright light at night will have harmful effects. It is said that the light exposure can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps with the sleep timing.2. Stress BuildupUsing a smartphone indicates that you are always available to attend calls, reply to messages, social media notifications and emails. This pushes your work timings further into the night. As the work gets prolonged, you tend to build by stress.3. Eye StrainThe exposure to the blue light that is emitted by smartphone displays can damage the retina of your eye. The retinal damage might lead to macular degeneration that will cause loss of central vision. This will lead to the inability to see what is in front of you. You need to follow the 20-20-20 rule to limit the harmful effect on your eyes. Ever 20 minutes you need to take 20 seconds to focus on any object that is 20 feet away.4. Text NeckThe spinal cord disorder that is caused due to over usage of smartphones is termed text neck. Usually, people bend their neck up to 60 degrees to text on a smartphone. This posture builds up the pressure on the neck.5. Behavioral IssuesIt is common for smartphone users to become aggressive if they don't use their phones for a considerable time. Some people do not let others to even take a look at their smartphones.6. Loss of FocusAs smartphones let you stay connected to the social media all the time, it is common to get notifications from social networks, emails, etc. constantly. The frequent notifications are said to divert your focus and you might lose attention on what you were doing.7. Cellphone ElbowWhile you use your smartphone excessively, your arms' tendons are prone to overuse and this will result in inflammation that will lead to numbness and pain. It leads to a condition called cell phone elbow, which is an ailment that makes it tough to bend your elbow for a long time. It also results in tingling and numbness in the pinky and ring fingers.8. Text ClawToo much of smartphone use causes cramped fingers, muscle pain and wrist pain, thanks to continuous scrolling and texting. This causes inflammation in the tendons.9. Depression and AnxietySpending a lot of time looking at the smartphone screen can result in anxiety and depression. Excessive smartphone users might get depressed if they forget to carry their smartphone with them, if they do not receive an expected call or message, etc.10. Nerve Damage Due to RadiationYou might have heard that radiation from cellphones and other such devices might cause serious health issues. Exposure to high levels of radiation might cause long term and incurable side effects. It affects the nervous system and results in migraine and headache among other serious issues.